Wolf Woods
by Gingercookiessnaps
Summary: AU (Blame it on a dream) The four of them were fine with living in their small pack. They weren't many, so the scarce food that they find within their territory was plenty; however, their territory kept getting smaller thanks to some not being able to stay out of other packs' territories. It began to give them a rough time. When a wolf dared to cross their territory ...
1. Territory Crossed

**A/N: **I had a dream about the plot of this story. I blame my recent obsession with Beyblade for the pick of characters. I have a whole bunch of them going to show in this story; however, they are their own _packs_. Oh, a clue for what the story will be mostly based on. I take my research for stories very seriously; however, a few things won't be animal-like. It's an AU. I can say what I want as long as it is within reason.

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**Summary: **The four of them were fine with living in their small pack. They weren't many, so the scarce food that they find within their territory was plenty; however, their territory kept getting smaller thanks to some not being able to stay out of other packs' territories. It began to give them a rough time. When a wolf dared to cross their territory, well, their lives were about to change. For the better? Or for the worse? One really can't tell …

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**Chapter 1 **– Territory Crossed

"Our territory keeps getting smaller."

The reddish-grey, white wolf lifted his head as the wind whipped through his fur. Winter was upon them, and the territory had grown smaller four rows of trees. He didn't like the fact their territory was smaller for the winter season when food was particularly scarce. Blue eyes opened as he looked at his pack lounging in a clearing. Two of them were fighting over a bone, and he rolled his eyes. He jumped from his perch; his paws made hardly a sound. The Tundra wolf had traveled in the Russian wilderness to find his pack.

"Ian!"

The smallest wolf let go of the bone as he whirled around to stare at his alpha. The Tibetan wolf cowered on instinct. The omega wasn't the toughest or the biggest of the bunch. He had been kept around do to his small size. He was the best at hunting rabbits and mice. His brownish tinted, white fur shook from the silent shivers that racked his body. His tall ears twitched as they flattened against his head. Upon instinct, his tail tucked between his hind legs. The Tundra wolf gave a low growl before shaking his head.

"Why is our territory _smaller_?"

"I-I-I …" stuttered Ian.

"Well?" snapped the alpha. His maw came close to Ian's snout. The Tibetan wolf yelped before rolling on his back showing off his stomach to the, obviously, stronger wolf.

"I was chasing breakfast, a-and I a-accidentally trespassed another packs b-boundaries," Ian explained, laughing nervously.

"What am I going to do with you, Ian?"

"Nothing, Tala. I messed on that one. I wasn't paying attention the signs and smells around me. I tried to apologize, but you know the law of the lands."

"Quite," growled Tala as he walked into his den. "Don't go hunting for a while, Ian. The others will bring you food."

Ian nodded, but Tala didn't see the nod. The alpha wolf had his back turned toward him as he walked into his low ceiling den. Tala stretched as he lay on the cold ground. His head lay on his paws as he watched his pack mates talk amongst themselves and play. At least, he saw Bryan and Ian playing with the bone once more. His blue eyes traversed the clearing before he spotted the nearly extinct wolf. He was definitely the strongest of all of them (as he could take down a moose by himself), but Spencer wanted nothing to do with leading a pack as alpha. The greyish-blue and white furred wolf turned his head toward Tala. Amber eyes stared at the pack leader before he stood to walk toward the den. The Kenai Peninsula wolf had 7 feet going for him. His long, powerful, muscular legs walked swiftly toward the alpha's den before sitting in front of the entrance.

"Yes, Tala?"

"I didn't want anything, Spence," he said, rolling onto his back. He stared at the upside down wolf. Spencer tilted his head before he gave a barking laugh at his leader's position on the ground. "Actually, I do want something from you."

"Yes?"

"The next time Ian goes hunting, trail him. If you sense another boundary and Ian doesn't stop, tackle the wolf."

"With pleasure," purred Spencer as he walked toward his original spot.

Tala rolled onto his stomach after the blood rushed to his head. He yawned before covering his nose with a paw. Soon enough, he had drifted to sleep while his pack played with Spencer, the Beta, watching them with sharp, amber eyes. His tail swayed from side to side in peaceful surrender.

/

When he had awoken from his nap, Tala nearly snapped Ian's paw off his front leg. The Tibetan wolf had been poking him in the nose. Tala growled before swiping a paw at him. Ian yelped as he summersaulted backwards from the den. The wolf stretched before he walked out of the den. His stretched after getting out of the cramped space by stretching his front legs and back. After yawning, he noticed something.

"Are Bryan and Spencer out hunting?"

"No, I've been trying to wake you for the past 10 minutes," explained Ian. "A wolf had crossed our boundaries. The other two have gone to investigate."

Tala's nose twitched as Ian's words sunk into his still sleeping brain. A wolf had crossed their boundaries. A wolf dared to cross _his _boundaries knowing that he had a Kenai Peninsula wolf as his beta. Did the wolf want a death wish? A snarl ripped from his throat as he sniffed the air. Ian followed him through the woods as they trailed the different smell within their boundaries. Winter had begun, so the winds had all kinds of smells whipping in every which direction. Though, the musky tree smell was hard to miss. His tongue hung from his mouth as he continued smelling the smell. The Tibetan wolf gave his leader a curious glance before deciding to say something, "Tala, your tongue is hanging."

He quickly placed it back in his mouth before shaking his head. Why the hell had he done that? He wasn't even tired enough to pant nor was it particularly hot. He heard growling before his eyes spotted anything between the trees. Their boundary ended soon. Bryan and Spencer had found the culprit that dared pass their boundaries. A higher pitched growl as heard in retaliation to the big brutes. Bryan may have not been as big as Spencer, but Tala only took him down during a fight due to being cunning. The cinnamon colored Cascade Mountain wolf had his green eyes pinned to the intruder. Neither were in any position to attack without being ordered.

"Back off you two," Tala's voice floated through the wooded area. Spencer and Bryan stopped their growling as they stepped away from the strange wolf.

Tala walked between them before he set his sight on the intruder. The first thing he noticed was the matted fur of the wolf. Their fur was gray-reddish in color. He noticed black fur had covered the back and sides of the thorax. The next thing he noticed was that they were breathing heavily as if they were injured. Tala wasn't one that would fight an injured wolf. Possibly, he could scare them away. His front dropped as his ears pinned to his head. He let out a snarl to the intruder. His upper lip had curled back and his fangs appeared.

"Please, I know you're not going to attack me," the wolf's soft, alto voice wafer through them.

The Tundra wolf's ears stood up slowly as he tilted his head. Their brave intruder was a female. Not only that, but said female had been injured. He noticed the smell of blood as the wind died, and he saw the snow stained with it. Soon enough, after they stared at each other long enough, golden amber against blue, he saw that she was an Eastern wolf quite a ways from her territory, isn't she?

"Hey, Tala," whined Ian. "She has a collar."

Tala blinked before he noticed the collar settled between her thick fur for the winter. It was red in color with a dog tag hanging from it. Okay, now, he was curious. A pet wolf in the wilderness of Russia. Particularly in the middle of nowhere, and his pack's territory began the all the packs' territories. He stepped closer to the female, and he noticed her ears dropped back. Well, at least she thought he was threatening enough to go into a defensive state. She let out a warning growl as he stood beside her.

"Hey, pet," he said, barking a laugh. "What brings you to the wilderness of Russia?"

She snarled at the word pet. She was not a pet! The people that found her as a pup knew she was a wild animal, and they cared to remember as such.

"I am _not _a pet! Take care to remember that!"

Tala's lip curled as he pinned her to the snow covered ground. His maw clenched around her scruff. She yelped in pain from the sudden disciplinary action. The Eastern wolf stopped in her movements as the grip on her scruff had temporarily paralyzed her. She had thought that action went away after she grew away from her pup years. It suck with her, apparently. After a few seconds, the pressure on her scruff had been released. She continued to lie on the ground as Tala glared at her. She was smaller than the Tundra wolf. The she-wolf knew she wasn't going to take him down. Not to mention, he seemed to be the leader of this ragtag bunch. She noticed the two that found her were bigger than him. She let out a cough before lifting her head.

"Get up," snarled Tala. "I don't attack injured wolves. I'll be courtesy enough to take you to the edge of the town you most likely stumbled from."

The she-wolf wasn't going to try and disrespect his order. She stood, shaking, before the pain in her thigh shot through her entire being. Her hind leg gave out and she tumbled in the snow. She yelped as she slid through it. Great, she couldn't even limp after walking so far with a bullet in her thigh. Tala's lip curled once again, but he didn't attack her. He wanted her out of his territory, but she wasn't even able to walk. He wasn't courteous enough to drag her back to the town.

"Spencer," he said. "Get her on your back and carry her to the clearing. I suppose we have a visitor."

The biggest wolf nodded as he easily grabbed her around the scruff and tossed her onto his back. Tala grinned as he heard the 'oof' from the female. Spencer definitely wasn't one to be easy on others. The she-wolf growled as she realized the alpha had done that on purpose. She knew that the big wolf wasn't one for pleasantries.

"Ian!"

"Yeah?"

"Hunt something for our - guest. Stay out of the others' territories though," he growled before snapping his maw at the Tibetan wolf. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," yelped the Omega before running off into the woods to gather food for the female.

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**A/N: **Nearly 2,000 words of story. I feel as if this is going to be my biggest story. The rules of the land, you ask? Well, the wolves have certain boundaries. If you cross their boundaries without permission, they're allowed to take some of your land. Up to 4 rows of trees. They can't take any more. Yes, our dear mysterious she-wolf is a "pet" to people. Obviously, something went horribly wrong if she's been shot.

Also, Tala is a huge jerk to intruders especially the injured kind that can't walk away from his territory. Though, as I reread this, I think the idiot Tundra wolf is taking great pride and fun in making this one hate him even more than she already hates him for scuffing her. Boy, my dreams are messed up.


	2. Healing the Wounded

**Chapter 2 **– Healing the Wounded

The she-wolf shivered as Russia's winter winds blew through her fur; she wasn't used to the cold. The others weren't as pleasant to help her either. In fact, their alpha had made it his job to make her life a living hell. It had been three days since they had roughly taken her to their home within the territory. She lived on mice caught by the Tibetan wolf; she had come to learn his name is Ian since the others seemed to yell it quite a bit. Her thigh stung horribly, and she couldn't curl into a ball without it sending a jolt of pain through her whole body. The Eastern wolf didn't know what to do at this moment. She closed her eyes, and soon, she had drifted off to sleep trying her best to ignore the icy wind. A shadow fell upon her form, but she didn't react to it. Sleep had bid her a dark, dreamless sleep. Blue eyes stared at her as Tala scoffed. Pathetic. She wasn't fit the harsh winters of Russia. The alpha started toward his den when he saw her shiver from the corner of his eye.

Do the right thing and carry her into the den, or really make her life a living hell and let her out here to get sick and the wound infected?

The Tundra wolf heaved a sigh as he managed to heave half of her on his back. He carried her to the den before dropping her onto the snowless ground. She was definitely out cold, he thought. Tala was cold and ruthless when it came to others outside of his pack, but he wasn't going to have a wolf's death hanging over his head. Her body gave a violent shiver even though she was away from the frigid winds. She definitely was an _Eastern _wolf. Didn't her home reside in Canada? She should be used to the frigid winter weather. He circled around her before deciding against his better plan of attack. He lay next to her, curling around her, as he laid his head over her neck. The alpha was careful of her injury, though. He wanted her out of his territory as quick as possible. His ears turned as he felt the shivering stop. Tala couldn't help but let a wolfish smile cross his features as he drifted off to sleep. His sleep consisted of a lite slumber as he didn't need rogue wolves attacking - that - and he didn't want the others to see him in such a position. She fit way to well with him wrapped around her. It felt comfortable.

/

A black nose twitched as the smell of mouse caught its attention. Golden amber eyes opened to sunlight shining into the cave. Her eyes began to close before they snapped open. Cave?! The only cave here was Tala's den! She saw Ian walked off after he had dropped the mouse at her doorstep. She heard him grumbling about having to feed the wounded one as punishment for him losing some of their territory. Her eyes roamed over the clearing as she noticed Ian hoping over some rocks.

"Where are you going? And, where's everybody else?"

The Tibetan wolf paused, but he didn't turn to look at her. "Tala and the others have gone to talk to the neighboring pack that has a member who could potentially help you. I have the ungodly job of keeping you fed, so I'm going to meet with them now. Hold down the fort, would 'ya?"

The she-wolf didn't reply as she snapped her jaws around the dead mouse. It wasn't a lot of food, but she wasn't a very big wolf. Ian was the only one smaller than her. The Eastern wolf finished her meal in one bite. She licked her lips to rid herself of the flavor before laying her head over her paws. How did she get in Tala's den? Obviously, she couldn't walk all that well. Her thoughts drifted to the possibility he had brought her into the den last night, but she shook her head to rid herself of the thought. The Tundra wolf _hated _her. She left out a yawn before falling back to sleep. It was a lot warmer in the den; however, it was her fur that felt warm not the ground of the den. It felt weird yet nice at the same exact time.

"Not every day you see Tala's ragtag group of a pack away from the clearing … all of them."

The she-wolf's ears twitched as she heard voices coming from outside the den. She stifled her yawn as she lifted her head from her paws. Three wolves of the same grey family color were wandering around the area; she had no idea who they were. If Tala and the others were in another pack's territory … this could potential spell trouble for the one wolf that couldn't walk. They sniffed the air. One turned in the direction of the den. Her ears pinned to her head as he wandered toward the open cave. She tried to move farther back, but her thigh was making it difficult. It had to be the obvious leader of the small group to spot her. He was the biggest, and the scars shown on his maw proved he had experience.

"Well, well," he said, barking a laugh. "I didn't realize you were here."

She snarled and swiped a paw at him. Her claws hit the mark as she smacked him across the snout. He roared in surprised pain as he shook his head. He rubbed a paw over his snout as blood ran down it.

"You little bitch," he growled.

She squirmed away from him until she felt her tail hit the back of the cave. Note to self, ask Tala why he doesn't have a bigger den. The wolf had only moved closer to her.

"First of all," she snapped back. "That term only replies to _pregnant _canines. And, I am no such thing."

"Feisty," he chuckled before dragging her out by the scruff of her neck. She tried to fight back, but he was stronger than her. Plus, her back leg was out of commission until the bullet was removed and healed. He flung her to the ground as the others came around to see what their leader had found. They cackled with him.

"What are you; a bunch of hyenas?" she spat.

"No," the leader said, wrapping a paw around her collar and pulling. "We're real wolves, sweetheart. We're not pets. However, you're a pretty little thing, aren't you?"

"I'm not a thing," she snarled. "I am not a possession nor a toy."

The leader let a wolfish smile slip as her eyes widened as she saw his plan through his eyes. She began to struggle out of his grip; however, her collar was making that impossible. He had his claws dug into it. Her swipes at him proved nothing as she couldn't even reach him with her claws.

"You'll be a bitch soon, little bitch."

He snagged her scruff as she went limp from the grip. She let out the most pathetic howl knowing that nobody was going to come to her rescue. Come on, the wolves she was staying with didn't even like her. Not to mention, they were right. She wasn't fit to be in the wild; she wasn't used to it. Not to mention, she really was a pet. Her snappy, witty comebacks were just for show.

He yelped as a paw came crashing down on the side of his skull. He let go of the Eastern wolf as he was knocked easily aside. A familiar sent tickled her nose as she opened her eyes to see white paws on either side of her. A snarl ripped from her savior's throat, and she had to smile. She knew that snarl. It was the very same one that came before she was pinned to the ground when she had entered his territory. What'd you know? Somebody did come to her rescue.

"Carlos," growled Tala as he stood protective over his guest. "Get out of my territory, you mangy rogue."

"I'm so scared," he scoffed. "Where's the rest of your little pack, huh Tala?"

The three wolves surrounded him. The wolf snapped his head to look at all of him. His hackles were raised as his ears pinned back. He had bolted in the middle of his conversation with Kai about borrowing Hilary to help the female wolf that was found right over his boundary line near the city. The alpha had no hair or hide of how he heard that howl from the Eastern wolf, but he had. The others had confused looks on their faces as he took off. At the moment, he kind of wished he didn't tell them to continue talking with Kai.

Carlos' smile widened, "They're not _here_. Great!"

The three wolves attacked from three sides. Tala yelped in pain as he tried to get them off of him. Carlos jumped on his back before biting his neck. The Tundra wolf hissed as he stepped over the she-wolf before slamming Carlos into the rock wall. The grey wolf yelped in pain as he released his hold on Tala. The alpha snarled as he tackled one of the others that was trying to get the she-wolf as she swiped a paw at him. Carlos shook off the pain as he tackled Tala to the ground. He pushed him off with his hind legs before they were at each other with tooth and claw. One of the others went to attack Tala when a paw smacked him against the rock wall. The wolf snarled before pushing against the wall. Gold eyes stared him before the wolf snarled.

"Carlos, its Kai, dude!"

The leader tore away from Tala as he panted to look to see the supposed wolf alpha. The rusty ocherous and grey furred wolf stood proud as he continued to snarl at the two grey wolves before him. They three turned tail and ran back into the woods. Tala pawed at his muzzle before laying where he once stood. Soon enough, the others of his pack appeared. Spencer seemed to have grey fur in his maw. They must have run into the big brute on their run out of Tala's territory. The she-wolf whined as she noticed blood run down the back of her savior. Tala glared at her before returning to licking his own wounds.

"Make it quick, Hilary," Kai snapped. "I have not all day to play babysitter."

"You do that enough with Tyson," the she-wolf said as she appeared.

Her rusty brown coat shined within the sun. The Arabian wolf walked toward the other she-wolf. The Eastern wolf had no energy to shun off her supposed helper. Hilary saw the bullet sticking from the bigger wolf's thigh. Carefully, she pulled it out with her teeth. She was small enough that her maw was able to grip the end of it. The pain dulled as the bullet had been removed. After a few minutes, and Hilary making it bleed so it doesn't get infected, she was able to move around. The Eastern wolf limped toward Tala as she dropped down beside him. The Tundra wolf glared at her.

"My name's Megan," she said, introducing herself. "You never really gave me the chance to tell you my name, but I know all your names."

Tala ignored her as he continued to lick his wounds - well, the ones that he could reach anyway. The neck wound continued to bleed freely, though it had started to clog as the bleeding wasn't as bad. Megan took it as a sign to continue talking.

"I do appreciate the things you have done for me during my stay, Tala."

"You can leave then," he snapped. "You have no reason not to walk."

"You're right," she said, stretching. "I can leave. I have nowhere to go though."

"Not my problem, pet."

Megan snarled as she clamped her jaws around Tala's injured neck. He yelped loudly from the sudden pain of it. Before he could pin her to the ground, he felt a rough, sandpaper tongue glide over his wound. The alpha wolf stopped moving as he felt her licking him. After a few minutes, she stopped her grooming and cleaning of the wound. It looked a lot better now that the blood wasn't around it.

"Now, we're even," she said while standing. "Thanks for saving me. I appreciate it."

She started limping toward an unknown destination. Hilary growled as she stopped the she-wolf from leaving the clearing. Megan blinked in utter surprise. What the hell did this Arabian wolf think she was doing? Megan tried to walk around her, but Hilary only jumped in front of her.

"You cannot wander around with your leg in that condition. It'll take a few days to a few weeks for it to properly heal!"

"I'm not welcome here," she said in a calm tone. "They have done much for me the last few days. I need only respect their wishes for me to leave."

"Tala, say something!" demanded Hilary.

"She's right," grumbled Tala as he looked away. "I don't want her here. She's a pet. Pets don't know how to survive out here."

"Shouldn't that be even more of a reason to keep her here?!"

Tala made no sound as he ignored the fuming she-wolf. He didn't understand how Tyson could possibly stand her as a mate. Hilary sighed as she started walking with Kai back to the pack. Obviously, she wasn't getting through either of their stubborn minds. Megan heaved a sigh as she walked past the other three that had kept her company for the past few days. Her tail was held parallel to her body as she didn't hold it high or keep it low. Tala groaned as he turned to look her way.

"Fine."

The others turned to Tala as they heard him speak. Megan paused, but she didn't look at him. "You can stay until your leg is healed. But, you can walk now, so you'll be working within the pack. Everybody does their part, and you won't be getting away with much."

Megan let a smile appear, "Fine. Though, I'll be frank - I have no idea how to hunt."

Tala licked his maw as he smirked. "Leave that to me."

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**A/N: **I have 2,400 words worth of a story chapter here. My dreams are messed up. And Tala has a guilty conscious - most of the time. Kai, Hilary and the rest of Kai's pack will be back. Others will show as well. I can't wait to get done to the nitty gritty. Though, I'll admit Tala will have his paws full with teaching the pet how to hunt. Though, after I upload this one, I'll write a few more chapters before updating Wolf Woods. I'm really liking this story.


	3. Hunting Lessons

**Chapter 3 – **Hunting Lessons

"3, 2, 1 …"

"Got you!" called Megan as she pounced.

Tala dodged her tackle by ducking his head. She passed over him while she landed bent in a C shape. Her tail flopped on her head. The alpha chuckled at her landing position. Megan growled as she rolled to straighten herself. She sucked at hunting. The she-wolf was starting to think she was never going to learn to hunt. Her ears dropped as she walked toward Tala before flopping beside him. The Tundra wolf stared at her before laying his head on his paws. Her hunting lessons were over for the day.

"At least I couldn't find where you were until you were on top of me this time," he commented. "I was starting to think you _liked _it when I tackled you."

"Yeah right, you lug," she snorted. "It hurt when you tackled me. I'm not made like you."

He snorted but didn't reply to her statement. He knew she wasn't made like him. She was ¼ his size, and he knew it. It didn't stop a deer from plowing its back hooves into her though. She had to learn to deal with things that were stronger and heavier than her. The Eastern wolf groaned as she rolled onto her back. Her thigh ached, but she knew it was getting better. The hunting sessions helped with its healing since she was laying around all day. Though, she didn't think Tala's methods would be so - what's word - unbearable. Ooh, good word. Megan was brought from her daydreams as something yanked on her ear. She yelped before growling at the culprit. The alpha barked a laugh before she tackled him. The she-wolf snarled as she pinned the bigger wolf to the ground.

"What the hell was that for?"

Tala tilted his head at her before pushing her with his paws causing them to roll. Soon enough, he pinned her to the ground. He gave a wolfish grin. Megan snarled as her lip curled showing her fangs. She tried to push him off of her with her hind legs and front legs, but he didn't budge. It was hard when you were lighter than him.

"I give up," she said just staring at him above her. "I do. I give up. You win. Now, get off!"

"You really didn't have much of a pup-hood, did you? I learned to hunt by playing with my siblings," explained Tala. "Obviously, teaching you how to hunt isn't working, so I thought …"

"You thought play fighting with me would reactivate the hunting instincts in a _pet _like me," she growled. "Thanks, Tala."

"Don't sound insulted," he scoffed letting her up. "I'm trying to be helpful here!"

Megan sighed as she rolled onto her stomach. "You're right. You're absolutely right. Sorry, Tala. I appreciate you trying to teach me how to hunt."

"That's more like it," Tala said, returning to his normal, cold self. "I suppose we should get back the clearing. I don't need the others getting any bright ideas on the reason it's taking so long."

"Ha, you'd be lucky if that were to happen," she said, giving a barking laugh. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch Tala."

The alpha paused as he turned his head to look at her. "No, if that were to happen, you'd be the lucky one."

/

When they returned to the clearing, the others were dazing in the nice sun that had graced them with its presence. Megan gave a purr as she felt the sun hitting the clearing. Compared to their training spot, home was relatively warm. The dog tag on her collar gleamed in the light, and Tala tched as he walked into his den. She had refused to let them remove it from her neck. Her excuse was that she'd feel naked without it as a collar had been a part of her whole life. He hated that stupid piece of leather. It worried him. What if the humans had a tracking device on it? They'd be able to find the pack; he wasn't willing to let one she-wolf trap them all. One of the many reasons he decided to train her himself.

One of the many? That was his only reason for training her. God dammit, what were the other reasons? He growled at himself before curling in a ball. His eyes roamed the clearing before they finally landed on the thing he was looking for – but the thing was in fact not a thing. It was the Eastern she-wolf. She settled away from the others which caused him to frown. She was a part of the pack until her leg fully healed; she needed to interact with them. He continued to watch her as she groomed herself until he tore his eyes away from her. Watching the wench at all times will only cause insanity. Golden amber eyes watched Tala as he placed a paw over his nose. She felt him watching her as she was grooming, and she frowned. He didn't trust her. That was as plain as Ian constantly crossing boundaries without permission.

"Hey, pet!"

"Don't call me that, Bryan! I have a name," she snapped. "Say it with me. Megan."

The Cascade Mountain wolf growled as he got up to walk over to her. Megan stared at him without flinching as he towered over her. He went to say something when Tala snarled from the den. Both of them looked at him as he placed his paw on the ground instead of over his nose. His blue eyes darkened as he stalked out of the den and over to them.

"Leave it, Bryan. Believe it or not, she's a part of this pack until her leg fully heals. She'll be a part of our hunting team when we hunt something bigger than a groundhog," explained Tala. "I'd appreciate if you would treat her like a pack member, got it?"

"Crystal," the bigger wolf rumbled. "Well, if that's the case, we can bond, can't we, Megan?"

Amber eyes widened as he heard the rumbling growl come from his alpha and not the small wolf in front of him. Bryan had said it to rile the Eastern wolf not Tala. He snapped his head toward his leader and took a step back. Tala's tail whipped from side to side as his ears pinned back. He shook his head before turning back toward the den. His mumbling wasn't caught either of the other wolves. Bryan looked at Megan, then Tala and continued for a while before laughing. Oh, this was pure gold. Tala didn't even realize how possessive he sounded at that exact time. Megan looked utterly confused.

"Welcome to the team, Megan," Bryan said, greeting her. "I'm sure you'll fit right in. Of course, the only one that wouldn't crush you would be Ian. Be careful not to crush him."

"I heard that!" said Tibetan wolf yelled. "Not cool, Bryan! Not cool."

/

The Eastern wolf rolled for the 100th time that night. Nights were a lot colder than the days, and she was still getting used to them. The she-wolf shivered as the frigid winds blew through the clearing. The others had no problem with it, and Tala had that nice, cozy den of his to sleep in. It wasn't all that fair. Her ears pinned against her head to keep the wind from whistling through them. She lay on her side in the snow as she thought about the last few weeks. Her owners had traveled to Russia to obtain another orphaned wolf pup. They owned a wolf sanctuary, and they were there to help orphaned pups. Megan never knew her parents. They were killed during a wolf hunt by the humans. She groaned as the memories past through the flood gates. She remembered a warmth and the smell of peppermint. It was a weird small for a wolf, but she would always remember her mother's scent. The she-wolf rolled on her stomach as she placed a paw over her nose. The memories wouldn't stop. She remembered a banging. She heard the same noise when hunters were around her home with her people. She remembered her mother's voice telling her to hide in the bushes and not to move until she came to get her. The wolf whimpered. She remembered staying in the bushes for days without moving, because she had waited for her mother to come for her. Whining started. Stop it! Stop it, please. She remembered the night the people took her from her hiding place in the bushes and she cried for her mother. Megan cried to the night sky at the thought.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

The she-wolf turned to her savior from her memories, and she nodded. Spencer had taken a spot beside her as she laid on her paws. The memories had disappeared, and she thanked Spencer in her mind. The beta had come at the right time.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really. Sorry, Spence," she said, smiling at him.

Out of all the wolves in the area, Spencer was the one that was the nicest to her. She had figured out quickly that he was a big teddy bear, and he felt like an older brother to her. She saw him shrug his shoulders from her answer. She curled at his side and nuzzled the fur. It was soft. The wolf didn't make a sound nor did he move.

"You're like the big brother I never had, Spencer," she said while nodding off to sleep. "Thank you."

He looked at her to notice she was sleeping. "You're welcome, Megan."

/

When the sun had risen, Tale stretched as he walked out of his den. He shook his head as he tried to be rid of the sleepiness within them. His team had to hunt today for a decent meal. He yawned before his eyes caught something of severe interest. The Eastern wolf was snuggled up to Spencer. A growl ripped from his throat as he walked toward them. He laid over the bigger wolf before poking Megan with a paw. He kept doing it until her eyes flickered open.

"What's up?" he asked. "Comfy?"

She yawned before stretching. The she-wolf shook her whole body to wake her muscles from slumber. Her tired eyes looked at the alpha before yawning once more.

"Quite," she answered. "Why are you laying over Spencer?"

"I'd like an answer to that question as well," the Kenai Peninsula wolf rumbled. "Get off, Tala."

"No," he replied. "I'm quite comfy myself. I can see why the pet over here was snuggled up to you during the night."

"Tala, it's too early for your jealousy," Spencer mumbled as he rolled over taking the alpha wolf with him. Tala yelped as he barely dodged the bigger wolf rolling on him. Megan looked around Spencer as she saw Tala sprawled on the ground. He was glaring at the bigger wolf while he laid on his back. She walked toward him before laying on his stomach. Tala looked at her as she laid on him. She gave him a wolfish smile. He growled at her.

"Get off," he demanded.

"But, I don't want too. You interrupted my sleep, and Spencer's in a grumpy mood because of you. You're not as fluffy or comfy as him, but you'll do to use a pillow as I continue to sleep this morning."

"Don't you dare," snarled Tala. "Pet, I mean it!"

"You told Bryan yesterday to not call me pet," she said, yawning. "Why? Is it my pet name from you?"

The Tundra wolf let a growl rumble from his throat as he rolled over. Megan yelped as she found herself underneath him. She growled as she tried to shove him off. Tala chuckled as he bit her ear before pulling on it playfully. The she-wolf shook her head to make him let go. When he did, she managed to turn before licking his cheek fluff. Tala froze as he felt that familiar sandpaper tongue glide across his cheek. He closed his eyes before rolling off of her. The wolf shook his body from the feeling before going to check the boundaries. Megan watched him disappear into the woods before she heaved a big sigh. Well, playtime was officially over. Did she overstep her boundaries by licking his cheek? She stood before going for a walk. She had to find where this territory ended anyway.

/

Megan found herself at the end of the boundary near a meadow. She saw a few dens a few feet away by some trees within the meadow. It was beautiful. She found where her territory ended, so she sat at the very edge of it. The breeze felt amazing to her even though the meadow was covered in glistening snow.

"Makoto, don't you dare cross into the woods!"

A wolf pup darted close to the borders as Hilary chased after him. The wolf pup didn't look anything like the wolf following him, but Megan knew she was his mother. The pup had a mixture of grey, black, brown and rust colors with white underneath the top coat. As he tried to cross the border, Megan caught him by his scruff. He wiggled as she dangled him in the air. Hilary gave a sigh of relief as she met Megan at the border. The Eastern wolf placed the pup on the exact boundary of the two territories. She leaned her head to nudge him with her nose. He nuzzled his mother before sitting between her legs. The pup wasn't expecting to be caught by a wolf he didn't know from that part of the territory.

"I'm sorry, Megan! Wait, Megan? Tala let you stay?"

Megan laughed as she gave the Arabian wolf a nod, "Though I might have put him in a bad mood this morning."

"It's not hard to put Tala in a bad mood," laughed Hilary. "Oh, meet Makoto. He's my son."

"I can tell," Megan said leaning down to look at him. "His brown spots are your shade of brown. I'd like to thank you for helping me with my leg, Hilary. It meant a lot."

"Ah, it's fine. You don't have to thank me. Besides Makoto, I'm like a mother to all the wolves of Kai's pack - including Kai."

The Arabian wolf giggled as she said those words. Megan smiled softly before she noticed the pup trying to sneak across the border once again.

"Don't even try it, Makoto," said Bryan as he appeared from the woods. "Even though you have done it before, and Tala always lets you get away with it since you're a pup …"

"Good morning, Bryan," Megan muttered. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yes," he scoffed. "We're hunting for deer today, and Tala wants to bring you along to show you how it's done."

"Can I go?" asked Makoto, his tail wagging. "Daddy never lets me go on their hunts."

"No!" all three adult wolves yelled.

Megan bade Makoto and Hilary a good bye before she started following Bryan to the clearing in the woods. Neither noticed Makoto sneaking after them. Hilary looked down then around before she became frantic. The wolf pup had snuck across the border once again! She raced through the meadow the dens. She had to tell Tyson and Kai; she was afraid he'd sneak along for Tala's hunt of the day. She didn't want him to get trampled.

* * *

**A/N: **Whoa. I had almost 2600 words for this chapter. Anyway, things are getting tense. Makoto had snuck across the border when nobody was watching. What's going to happen? Is he going to be okay? Well, find out soon.

I'd like to thank Sky as my first reviewer. I'm glad you love this story. I hope you continue to read it. Yes, everybody, you'll see the Bladebreakers as a pack very soon.


	4. Saving Private Makoto

**Chapter 4 – **Saving Private Makoto

Megan, the ever bored Eastern wolf, laid still in the bushes as she watched the others on their hunting trip. Tala specifically told her to stay hidden, and she shouldn't make any sounds. As if she's a pup that needs training on how to hide. Been there, done that. The Tundra wolf had given his commands, and they others followed them through. They tracked the herd of a deer in a straight line before diverging. One of the deer was injured, and it was their unlucky prey. When Megan thought about it, she never had raw deer meat. She had raw mice before since she used to catch them in the house, but the mice in the wilderness were a lot bigger. Her ears perked as she spotted Tala passing by her. His eyes flickered toward her location before he appeared before the herd. It was imminent; the herd saw him and started to run. Some scattered, but the injured one had difficult running. Bryan laid in wait in the tall grass as it ran past him. He snapped at its legs to knock it off balance. Ian snapped at it from behind to make sure it didn't turn the opposite way. They were pretty good for a group of four Megan decided. Her eyes widened as she noticed a very familiar looking pup sitting shocked in front of a rather healthy buck running toward him.

"Makoto!" she yelled. "Makoto, run!"

When the Mexican wolf pup didn't move, Megan dashed for him. The buck was about to rear at him when she grabbed him by the scruff before running from the buck. The deer didn't let up though. She tossed Makoto into the tall grass before the buck reared. The Eastern wolf yelped in extreme pain as the deer smacked her with its front hooves. Her back gave way as she fell to the ground with a thud. She moved her head to dodge the hooves aiming for it. Her yelp was louder when it smacked her side.

A rustle came from the bushes as Tala knocked the buck off balance. It managed to stay on its feet before the Kenai Peninsula wolf tackled it to the ground. He bit into its neck, and Spencer didn't let go until it stopped moving. When the action was over, Makoto ran from his hiding spot to Megan. The Eastern wolf smiled as she nuzzled him; the female was glad he was uninjured. Tala - Tala wasn't as happy as Megan. He smacked the pup to the ground. He stood over him with a snarl etched on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here, Makoto? Do you realize what you had just _done_?"

The pup whimpered as he tried to get away from Tala. He ran underneath him to Megan. He snuggled against her as she covered him with her paws as a way to comfort him. He cried as she licked the top of his head. Tala growled as he leaned down to snap his maw at the pup. The she-wolf smacked him with her paw. Tala backed away as he pawed at his snout. The Tundra wolf had enough. He grabbed Makoto from Megan's paws by his sides. The pup whimpered as he realized that Tala wasn't very happy.

"Put the pup down, Tala."

Tala glared at the Eurasian wolf that had appeared in his territory. Kai growled as he realized Tala hadn't released Makoto from his jaws. Hilary burst through the trees as she huffed. An older version of Makoto appeared as well. He huffed. Tala twitched as he dropped the pup on the ground. Makoto ran to his mother before hiding beneath her. He placed his tail between his legs and his ears flattened. It hadn't meant to unintentionally hurt Megan. He wanted to see a hunt up close. Tyson snarled as he realized that Tala was going to hurt his son. He rammed into Tala sending the Tundra wolf sprawling to the ground.

"What the hell, Tala?!" he shouted. "You were going to crush him with your jaws!"

"You think he didn't deserve it, omega!" snarled Tala as he tackled Tyson to the ground. "He almost unintentionally _killed_ Pet!"

Mentioned she-wolf was still trying to catch her breath; it hurt to breathe, but it was getting easier. She was happy to know that the deer hadn't broken anything. She barked a laugh as she heard him unintentionally slip up with the pet name.

"So, it is a pet name?" she rasped out. "How sweet."

"Shut it, Megan!" he snarled. "You have no room to make jokes when you're having a hard time breathing."

"Calm down, Tala," Kai said as he approached. "You have to remember Makoto is still a pup. He makes mistakes. They happen. Get over it."

Megan slowly got off the ground as she limped toward the fuming Tundra wolf. Somebody had to calm him, and the other three weren't exactly helping. They were afraid of Tala when he was pissed. She huffed trying to catch her breath when she finally got to him. The timid Eastern wolf rubbed her head underneath his chin. Oh yes, definitely crossing boundaries. The alpha froze as he felt her nuzzle him. He took a deep breath before looking at the intruding wolves.

"Take your pup and get out. I won't take any land since you came to find your son, Hilary. Got that, Kai? No more slipups of the pup."

The other alpha nodded before they disappeared in the trees. Tyson was caring Makoto by the scruff; he was planning on giving his son quite a big lecture when they got home. Megan leaned against the Tundra wolf as Tala nuzzled her subconsciously. It was the she-wolf's purr that snapped him out of it. He walked away from her before walking toward their kill. He went to take a bite but stopped before his jaws snapped way at the flesh. He walked past Megan as he gave them his orders.

"Eat then bring the rest back to the clearing. I'm not in the mood to eat anymore. Also, Pet, follow me."

"I'm hungry though."

"Now, Megan!"

/

"He - He - He was going to kill me!" exclaimed Makoto shivering from fear.

"You're lucky that she-wolf was there," snapped Kai as the crossed the meadow. "Tyson, your son is as reckless as you are."

"Sorry, Kai," the Mexican wolf grumbled. "He'll be punished."

The alpha shook his head as they made it to the dens. He was one of the few alphas that let others of the pack mate and have pups. Mostly because he didn't have a mate himself. He barked slightly to let the others know they had returned. He was in a poor mood, and everybody knew he was in a poor mood. Kai made a great alpha, but he sucked with his anger management. A wolf with white fur that had black tipped fur along the ridge of its back had appeared from the second highest den in the meadow. Amber eyes stared at the others before he jumped from that height. Ray, the Bernard's wolf, had come to greet them. He pushed Makoto away from his parents. At the moment, he was the only pup since Tyson and Hilary managed only have one pup.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Makoto snuck into Tala's territory and almost got the she-wolf staying with him killed by a mature, healthy buck," explained Tyson while giving his on a look. "Makoto, we'll have to talk later."

The pup nodded before he ran into his parents' den; he knew he was in trouble. Ray sighed as he asked another question, "So, what happened after?"

Hilary looked to the ground before she answered, "Tala almost killed him. If it wasn't for Megan, he would have crushed him with his jaws."

/

The Eastern wolf followed her alpha through the woods before they made it the clearing. Tala looked over his shoulder to make sure she was still following closely and she had collapsed suddenly. Megan huffed, but she continued to follow him. He walked into his den as Megan stopped outside of it. The Tundra wolf huffed as he called her into the cave. She slowly walked in before Tala pinned her to the ground. She hissed as pain shot through her back. He growled at her before speaking, "Did you _want _to die?"

"No."

"You should have stayed put."

"And let Makoto die in a one deer stampede!" growled Megan as she struggled against him. Her muscles ached, but she still continued to fight against him holding her to the ground.

"That's life, Megan!" he snarled. "It goes full circle! Not everybody is meant to survive!"

Megan turned her head as he finished his speech. He was right. Tala was always right. She couldn't save everybody even her humans knew such a truth. Many pups died while they were being treated, because they couldn't be saved. She whimpered as her eyes shut tight. Tala sighed as he released her. She rolled into a ball, but she didn't leave the den. She didn't have the strength. Her back hurt and her leg hurt. The she-wolf covered her snout with her paws as to keep Tala from seeing her. She acted stupid trying to rescue Makoto. Her only thought was that she'd hate to see Hilary so heartbroken if her son died. She didn't want to see that.

"Sorry," she cried. "Sorry."

Dammit, dammit were Tala's thoughts as he shook his head. He was trying to teach her to survive in the wild. He wasn't supposed to feel sorry for her as she whimpered in the corner. Hell, he should have let her die at the hooves of the buck. He didn't. He fucking rammed into the thing with full force. His shoulder hurt like hell, but he wasn't about to show it. His mind returned to the morning when he had purposely woken her from her slumber, because he didn't like the fact she was sleeping snuggled to Spencer. His ears fell as he listened to her cries become whines. You're getting way to close to her, Tala. She's only staying until her leg heals. Though, after this, she'll have to stay a bit longer. He closed his eyes before making a brash decision. The Tundra wolf wrapped himself around her as to keep out the sadness and tears. He licked the top of her head before lying his head over her.

You're falling too deep, Tala.

/

Tala yawned as sunlight streamed into the den. He hadn't realized he slept through the night. The wolf went to stretch before he realized that Megan was curled next to him snuggled to his side. Her head had moved to his side as she buried her face in his fur. He groaned before the smell of deer meat met his nose. They hadn't eaten yesterday. He moved slightly to bite and pull her ear. That woke the she-wolf. She yawned before stretching. Her back ached, but it was a dull ache. She nuzzled Tala's side before standing. She rubbed a paw over her snout before walking out of the den.

Why did it feel so right for him to watch her walk out of the den? He shook his head before following her. He stretched once he was in the snow. Megan was munching on the deer for breakfast. He soon joined her eating on the opposite side. Normally, Tala would have snapped at her and told her to wait until he was done since he was the alpha. It must have been because it was early in the morning. The others were sleeping on the rocks surrounding the clearing. Ian was on his back snoring. His front paw twitched every so often.

"We're going to cancel your lessons today," he spoke.

"What?"

"You heard me, Pet," he snapped. "After yesterday, I believe everybody deserves a break. We'll stay in the clearing and relax. They'll probably play with a left over bone."

The she-wolf looked at him with soft eyes and smiled. Tala froze for a second before he went back to eating the deer.

Definitely too deep, Tala.

* * *

**A/N: **Ah oh. What's going on with dear ole Tala? He's definitely not wanting to keep Megan around anymore than he needs her to be around. Well, onto the next chapter!


	5. Relaxing Day, Yeah Right

**Chapter 5 – **Relaxing Day (Yeah … Right.)

Ian and Bryan had grabbed a left over bone to play tug of war with it. Megan watched them from one of the rocks surrounding the clearing. She had gone to this position to keep an eye out for intruders or those that didn't know where the boundaries started or ended. She laid her head on her paws as she thought about the past few weeks. Her hunting lessons were improving, and she managed to catch a small rabbit by herself the other day. Tala had decided another day to do nothing since the last one when she was reared by a buck. Her back sent phantom pains from that memory. Her eyes roamed over the clearing. Spencer was relaxing in the shade of an overhanging rock. And, as stated before, Ian and Bryan were playing tug of war with a left over bone. Golden amber eyes landed on the Tundra wolf that was laying on the opposite end of the clearing. Ever since that night, Tala had greatly separated himself from her. He had Spencer take over her hunting lessons. Megan wasn't going to lie; it hurt when he said he didn't want to teach her the lessons anymore. She tore her gaze away from him as she felt the hurting come back. It laid heavy in her chest, and she didn't like it one bit.

Spencer walked toward his alpha before laying across from him. Tala looked at his beta before tilting his head. What did Spencer need? He was in the middle of grooming himself. His fur didn't stay white without work done to it.

"She's hurting," the brute said. "You're hurting her."

"It's none of your business," muttered Tala. "Leave me be, Spencer."

"Her leg is almost healed," the Kenai Peninsula wolf commented. "She'll be leaving once it fully heals."

Tala's ears perked which told Spencer he had gotten his attention. Tala pretended not to care, and he started distancing himself from the she-wolf. The female had confided in Spencer her concern that Tala didn't actually like her, and she was a hopeless case in hunting. He had managed to comfort her, but he knew Tala cared about her. Even if the alpha wolf didn't realize it himself, he always asked about hunting lessons - asked if she had gotten hurt - if she was okay. It started to annoy the beta. He knew Tala's problem. The wolf didn't want to get attached to a female. He didn't want a mate. Especially the female that trespassed his lands because she was injured.

"At least talk to her," he tried to edge Tala in the right direction. "Saying hello won't kill you."

"How do you know?" he snapped. "Saying hello might snap any control I have!"

His ears fell back as he realized his slip up in this conversation with his number 2. Spencer gave a wolfish grin as he caught the slip up. Tala snarled as he turned away from the beta. The bigger wolf sighed. He wasn't good at giving advice.

"Tala, you'll have to confront this eventually."

"_This _being the Eastern wolf sitting on the rocks, right?"

"Exactly."

Spencer didn't say anymore as he walked to over to the others. He wanted to play with them. The Tundra wolf gazed at the she-wolf that had fallen asleep on the rocks. Her back was turned to him as her tail lay over the edge of the rocks. He 'tched' before going back to grooming himself. Only, he ended up pulling some fur from his tail at the thought of Megan. The last few weeks have been hell to him; it couldn't have been worse for the female plaguing his every thought. He took a deep breath before the she-wolf rolled off the rocks. She made an 'oof' as she hit the ground. Tala stood as the others rushed toward her. He walked over pushing them out of the way. She was shaking her head. He leaned in to make sure she was okay.

"Gah! Tala!" she yelped, surprised. "Don't do that!"

"You okay?" he asked, concern was laced through his voice.

"It wasn't a big drop, Tala. I'm fine."

"Good, Pet. You're such a klutz."

"And you're infuriating. Why are you talking to me now?" she snarled, her fangs showed as her lip curled.

"What? It's not okay for me to ask if you're alright?!" he argued. "I don't even know why I asked. You're leaving soon anyway, aren't you?!"

The clearing grew silent as the others watched the two of them interact. A mutter of 'here we go' from Spencer seemed all too clear as Ian and Bryan stepped in between the two fighting wolves. Megan, though bigger than the Tibetan wolf, wasn't able to out maneuver him. She tried to claw at the Tundra wolf, but she wasn't able to reach him. Meanwhile, Tala had been pinned by Bryan. The Cascade Mountain wolf was bigger, a lot more powerful, and Tala wasn't thinking straight.

"Get off me, Bryan!" snarled Tala.

"Not until you calm down, Tala. Getting angry isn't going to help. And, Megan has a point. You hadn't talked to her in weeks. Why talk to her now? What's going on with you?"

The reddish-grey, white wolf grew quiet as he refused to answer Bryan. The Eastern wolf closed her eyes before she took off running into the woods. She wasn't going to get upset; Tala was right - she was leaving soon. Her leg had almost healed, and her limp was almost gone. She panted as she realized she had reached the border toward the city. Her thoughts had gone to going back and suffering for the things she hadn't done. A wolf had attacked a child, and they blamed it on her. The child's father had gotten his gun before shooting her in the thigh thus injuring her leg; she couldn't tell them she didn't do it.

/

"Well, well, close to the border, aren't you sweetheart?"

"Carlos," growled the Eastern wolf. "What do you want?"

"The territory, the woods - you?"

"Not even in your wildest dreams, mangy rogue," she spat reusing Tala's words when she first encountered him.

"Still a pet, I see," purred the rogue leader.

"Don't call me that!" she growled as she clawed his snout.

Carlos yelped as he rubbed his snout from her attack. He felt blood running down his snout, and he snarled. "You bitch!"

"I've told you," she huffed. "Bitches are pregnant canines. I'm no such thing. Leave me be, Carlos."

"I don't think so," he growled as he stepped over the boundary. "You're going to pay for ruining my perfect snout."

Megan snarled as she curled her upper lip; she definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with rogues. Carlos pounced as the Eastern wolf dodged. He tried to tackle her, but she kept the game of cat and mouse. She wasn't going to let him defile her. Tala wasn't there to help her this time. Her paw slipped as Carlos managed to tackle her. The she-wolf yelped as she clawed at him. The wolf didn't budge; he was used to other wolves clawing at his skin. Megan lunged forward and clamped her jaws around his neck. He howled in pain as his friends came running to help him. Megan refused to let go as they attacked her.

/

The first one to hear Carlos' howl was Ian. He had wandered through the forest looking for the Eastern she-wolf. His ears perked before he started running toward the direction of the howl. An intruder had entered the territory, and he had to bet that Megan ran into them. Though, a blur of reddish-grey fur passed him a few minutes later. He waited for Spencer and Bryan before they ran together toward their destination. So much for a relaxing day …

/

The Eastern she-wolf had collapsed on the ground from them attacking her at once. The rogues circled her as they laughed loudly. The female had put up a good fight, but her stamina against them had wane thin. Megan panted as she tried to stand to run from them. It was no good; her muscles were screaming in pain and to have some rest. She collapsed to the ground after she managed to get on all four paws. Carlos let out the loudest laugh as he stood above the tiring she-wolf. He was going to show her that nobody messed with him especially a female. He pushed her onto all fours as she turned her head to snap at him. A grin wormed its way onto his face as he hooked his paws behind her hind legs. Her eyes widened in fear as she felt him push her tail to the side. She went to turn and snap at him, but the two other wolves tackled her front end to the ground. The Eastern wolf whined. It wasn't going to do anything; she wasn't even in heat. She felt him start to hump her as she whined and whimpered. Why did she have to run off like that?

The weight was lifted off her body as she recognized the snarl that ripped through the border of the territory. Tala clamped his jaws around Carlos' neck before flinging the wolf off of her. The grey furred wolf slammed his back into a tree as he yelped in pain. Megan curled into a ball as he stood over her. The others blocked the rogue wolves from going near them.

"Funny how you always seem to come running when she's in trouble?"

"I came because of your howls of pain this time, Carlos," spat Tala. "And, I can assume she was winning until your cronies ganged up on her."

The blood flowed freely down Carlos' neck from the wounds Megan managed to inflict on it. The grey wolf cackled as he paced in front of Bryan and Spencer.

"I suppose you weren't going to let me go easy?" he snarled.

"Uh, no."

"Besides," spoke Ian. "Even if he was to let you go easy, the rest of us wouldn't."

"Megan's part of this pack, and we'll defend her as if we would any other one of us," snarled Spencer. The cronies cowered with fear as the Kenai Peninsula wolf glared at them. Spencer was a brute, and they knew it firsthand.

"But, we're going to kill you now," barked Bryan. "You defiled her, rogue!"

Before they even got the chance to slaughter the three, they took off running toward the town. The Eastern wolf shivered underneath Tala as she stayed in her defensive curl. The Tundra wolf looked at her before licking the top of her head. She flinched and moved away from him. Blue eyes softened as he backed away from her. The others made no movement toward her knowing that they'd make her fear worse.

"Pet," Tala called, "we're not going to hurt you. Remember, we're your pack. I almost had the murder of three wolves hanging over my head."

Megan looked at him with dull golden amber eyes before she stood and stumbled toward him. Her muscles ached and she felt disgusting. Her front paws contorted with pain before she stumbled into the Tundra wolf. Tala nipped the top of her head before licking it. He didn't know how to comfort her, and frankly, he was going to talk to the other alphas later about Carlos. The rogues were on the move, and they were banning together.

/

"Carlos!" boomed a voice. "What happened? I thought I told you to get rid of the female!"

"I-I was," he stuttered. "But, she got the best of me. Not to mention, Tala showed."

"He was never good as a rogue. He's a lot more interesting as an alpha," the lead rogue wolf commented, laughing. "Now, Carlos, the plans have been set in motion. After this, I'm sure Tala will talk to the other packs. I'm sure our war will come to fruition."

"Yes," Carlos said. "And, when it comes to pass, the rogues will be ready - Boris."

* * *

**A/N: **I want to kill Carlos now. :I Also, it's everybody's favorite insane mastermind … Boris! Woot! Wait … I'm way too excited about this. He told Carlos to defile and break, Megan. Back to wanting to kill Carlos.


End file.
